The administration asked teachers to make themselves more availible to the students who need help, so we have to keep office hours once a week.  Every Wednesday I stay after school for one hour to tutor my students.  This is now the 5th week of school, and since then, I have only seen 2 students ask me for help.  It’s interesting, because these students probably don’t really need that much help, but they just want to ask.  And because they come to my office hours and show me they’re concerned with mastering their skills, I’ve grown to love them more over my other students.

Meanwhile, the masses are still not coming.  And I’m becoming more and more frustrated with them.  Why?  Because they all need my help.  They’re failing quizzes and tests and getting really low scores on the homework that they hardly turn in.  I know they care about their grades, because when I pass back graded assignments, they’re all really upset.  But they don’t do anything about it.  I have repeatedly told them about my office hours, and that I’m availible to meet them on other days too, before, during or after school.  And yet, no one takes me up on this offer.  So, like I said, I’m starting to become frustrated with them because they won’t help themselves by asking for help.

I was thinking, the other day, of the stupidity of the whole situation.  Here I have students in dire need of help, and I’ve made myself availible to them, and they’re not coming or asking.  And then I thought… this sounds familiar.

Doesn’t Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala make Himself availible to us all the time, and do we not use this resource?  I mean, how many times have we been told that if we want mercy (good grades) we have to ask for it (go to office hours).  We’re even told for the best times to ask for the help we need, during sajud of tahajud (Wednesdays after school).  And yet hardly any of us actually take advantage of this time!

If we are to continue to make the analogy of office hours being like asking Allah for help, then take the example of the students who have come and asked.  As a teacher, nowhere close to having the status of Allah, even I have grown to love the students who ask for help more!  So imagine, if we actually are the ones who are wise and ask Allah for His help, make du’aa, and talk to Him when we’re in need, won’t He begin to love us more, too?

Just something to think about, I guess.  Next time you need something in life, don’t think you can manage on your own and figure it out by yourself.  My students can tell you first hand the success rate of having that mentality.  Instead, go to office hours and ask Allah!

Help yourself… ask for help!